How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace
-
0:01 - 0:06I was the first woman president
-
0:08 - 0:09of an African nation.
-
0:12 - 0:18And I do believe more countries
ought to try that. -
0:18 - 0:19(Laughter)
-
0:19 - 0:26(Applause and cheers)
-
0:27 - 0:30Once the glass ceiling has been broken,
-
0:32 - 0:36it can never be put back together --
-
0:37 - 0:40however one would try to do that.
-
0:42 - 0:47When I assumed the presidency of Liberia
-
0:49 - 0:53in January 2006,
-
0:54 - 1:00we faced the tremendous challenges
of a post-conflict nation: -
1:01 - 1:03collapsed economy,
-
1:05 - 1:07destroyed infrastructure,
-
1:08 - 1:11dysfunctional institutions,
-
1:12 - 1:13enormous debt,
-
1:15 - 1:17bloated civil service.
-
1:18 - 1:20We also faced
-
1:22 - 1:26the challenges of those left behind.
-
1:27 - 1:33The primary victims of all civil wars:
-
1:34 - 1:37women and children.
-
1:39 - 1:42On my first day in office,
-
1:45 - 1:46I was excited ...
-
1:48 - 1:50and I was exhausted.
-
1:52 - 1:56It had been a very long climb
-
1:58 - 2:00to where I was.
-
2:03 - 2:08Women had been those who suffered most
-
2:09 - 2:11in our civil conflict,
-
2:12 - 2:16and women had been the ones to resolve it.
-
2:19 - 2:22Our history records
-
2:24 - 2:26many women of strength and action.
-
2:28 - 2:34A President of the United Nations
General Assembly, -
2:34 - 2:38a renowned circuit court judge,
-
2:38 - 2:42a president of the University of Liberia.
-
2:46 - 2:52I knew that I had to form
-
2:52 - 2:55a very strong team
-
2:56 - 3:00with the capacity to address
-
3:00 - 3:04the challenges of our nation.
-
3:05 - 3:11And I wanted to put women
in all top positions. -
3:13 - 3:17But I knew that was not possible.
-
3:18 - 3:24And so I settled for putting them
in strategic positions. -
3:26 - 3:32I recruited a very able economist
from the World Bank -
3:32 - 3:35to be our minister of finance,
-
3:35 - 3:38to lead our debt-relief effort.
-
3:39 - 3:44Another to be the minister
of foreign affairs, -
3:44 - 3:51to reactivate our bilateral
and multilateral relationships. -
3:52 - 3:55The first woman chief of police
-
3:57 - 4:01to address the fears of our women,
-
4:01 - 4:05who had suffered so much
during the civil war. -
4:06 - 4:11Another to be the minister of gender,
-
4:11 - 4:16to be able to ensure the protection
and the participation of women. -
4:18 - 4:20Over time,
-
4:20 - 4:22the minister of justice,
-
4:22 - 4:24the minister of public works,
-
4:24 - 4:26the minister of agriculture,
-
4:26 - 4:29the minister of commerce and industry.
-
4:32 - 4:35Participation in leadership
-
4:35 - 4:40was unprecedented in my administration.
-
4:42 - 4:45And although I knew
-
4:45 - 4:51that there were not enough women
with the experience -
4:51 - 4:55to form an all-women cabinet --
-
4:55 - 4:57as I wanted --
-
4:58 - 5:02I settled to appoint numerous women
-
5:03 - 5:05in junior ministerial positions,
-
5:06 - 5:08as executives,
-
5:09 - 5:11as administrators,
-
5:11 - 5:13in local government,
-
5:15 - 5:17in diplomatic service,
-
5:17 - 5:19in the judiciary,
-
5:19 - 5:21in public institutions.
-
5:24 - 5:25It worked.
-
5:27 - 5:31At the end of 2012,
-
5:34 - 5:40our economic growth
had peaked at nine percent. -
5:43 - 5:49Our infrastructure was being
reconstructed at a very fast pace. -
5:51 - 5:55Our institutions were functioning again.
-
5:56 - 6:03Our debt of 4.9 billion
-
6:03 - 6:05had been largely canceled.
-
6:06 - 6:11We had good relationships
with the International Monetary Fund, -
6:11 - 6:12the World Bank,
-
6:12 - 6:14the African Development Bank.
-
6:15 - 6:19We also had good working relationships
-
6:19 - 6:22with all our sister African countries
-
6:22 - 6:26and many nations all over the world.
-
6:27 - 6:33Our women could sleep
peacefully at night again, -
6:33 - 6:35without fear.
-
6:36 - 6:40Our children were smiling again,
-
6:41 - 6:48as I promised them during
my first inaugural address. -
6:50 - 6:55The reputation and credibility
-
6:55 - 6:57of our nation,
-
6:57 - 7:00lost in the many years of conflict,
-
7:00 - 7:01were restored.
-
7:03 - 7:05But progress is never guaranteed.
-
7:07 - 7:10And in our legislature, in my first term,
-
7:10 - 7:12women were 14 percent.
-
7:13 - 7:15In the second term,
-
7:15 - 7:19it declined to eight percent,
-
7:19 - 7:24because the environment
was increasingly toxic. -
7:26 - 7:30I had my fair shares
of criticism and toxicity. -
7:31 - 7:33Nobody is perfect.
-
7:35 - 7:41But there's nothing more predictable
-
7:41 - 7:42than a strong woman
-
7:44 - 7:49who wants to change things,
-
7:50 - 7:52who's brave to speak out,
-
7:53 - 7:56who's bold in action.
-
7:58 - 8:00But I'm OK with the criticism.
-
8:02 - 8:05I know why I made the decisions I made,
-
8:05 - 8:09and I'm happy with the results.
-
8:10 - 8:15But that's why more women
leaders are needed. -
8:16 - 8:22For there will always be those
who will tear us down, -
8:22 - 8:24who will tear us apart,
-
8:25 - 8:29because they want
the status quo to remain. -
8:31 - 8:38Although sub-Saharan Africa
has had major breakthroughs -
8:38 - 8:43in women's leadership and participation,
-
8:44 - 8:48particularly in the legislature --
-
8:49 - 8:53in parliament, as it's called --
-
8:53 - 8:54so many women,
-
8:54 - 8:5850 percent and over, one of our nations,
-
8:58 - 9:02well over 60 percent,
the best in the world -- -
9:02 - 9:05but we know that's not enough.
-
9:06 - 9:12While we must be very thankful
-
9:12 - 9:15and applaud the progress we have made,
-
9:16 - 9:20we know that there is much
more work to be done. -
9:21 - 9:26The work will have to address
the lingering vestiges -
9:28 - 9:30of structural ...
-
9:32 - 9:34something against women.
-
9:36 - 9:39In too many places,
-
9:39 - 9:41political parties
-
9:43 - 9:47are based on patronage,
-
9:48 - 9:49patriarchy,
-
9:50 - 9:53misogyny
-
9:53 - 9:57that try to keep women
-
9:57 - 10:00from their rightful places,
-
10:00 - 10:03that shut them out
-
10:03 - 10:07from taking leadership positions.
-
10:10 - 10:14Too often, women face --
-
10:15 - 10:18while the best performers,
-
10:18 - 10:22while equal or better in competence --
-
10:22 - 10:24unequal pay.
-
10:25 - 10:29And so we must continue to work
-
10:29 - 10:31to change things.
-
10:32 - 10:37We must be able to change
the stereotyping. -
10:39 - 10:43We must be able to ensure
-
10:43 - 10:46that those structural barriers
-
10:46 - 10:49that have kept women
-
10:49 - 10:55from being able to have the equity
they rightfully deserve. -
10:56 - 11:00And we must also work with men.
-
11:02 - 11:06Because increasingly,
-
11:06 - 11:09there is recognition
-
11:09 - 11:12that full gender equity
-
11:13 - 11:18will ensure a stronger economy,
-
11:21 - 11:23a more developed nation,
-
11:25 - 11:27a more peaceful nation.
-
11:29 - 11:33And that is why we must continue to work.
-
11:34 - 11:38And that is why we're partners.
-
11:40 - 11:45I will be launching a Center
for Women and Development -
11:47 - 11:49that will bring together --
-
11:49 - 11:55(Applause)
-
11:56 - 12:02women who have started
-
12:02 - 12:07and are committed
to their joining of leadership. -
12:09 - 12:14With women who have excelled
-
12:14 - 12:20and advanced in leadership together.
-
12:22 - 12:24Over a 10-year period,
-
12:26 - 12:29we strongly believe
-
12:29 - 12:35that we will create this wave of women
-
12:36 - 12:41who are prepared to take,
-
12:42 - 12:44unabashedly,
-
12:45 - 12:51intentional leadership and influence
-
12:51 - 12:52throughout society.
-
12:55 - 12:56This is why --
-
12:58 - 13:00(Laughs)
-
13:00 - 13:03at 81, I cannot retire.
-
13:03 - 13:05(Applause and laughter)
-
13:05 - 13:12(Applause and cheers)
-
13:12 - 13:16Women are working for change
-
13:17 - 13:19in Africa.
-
13:20 - 13:24Women are working for change
-
13:25 - 13:27throughout the world.
-
13:30 - 13:33I will be with them,
-
13:34 - 13:36and one of them,
-
13:37 - 13:38forever.
-
13:39 - 13:45(Applause)
-
13:45 - 13:48Thank you for listening.
-
13:49 - 13:52Go out and change the world.
-
13:52 - 13:59(Applause and cheers)
- Title:
- How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace
- Speaker:
- H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- Description:
-
"I was the first woman president of an African nation, and I do believe more countries ought to try that," says H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel laureate and former president of Liberia. Telling the story of how Liberian women helped rebuild their country after years of civil war, Sirleaf discusses why gender equality is essential to peace and prosperity -- and shares her plan to uplift a generation of women prepared to take leadership positions and catalyze social change.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 14:11
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Erin Gregory approved English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Erin Gregory edited English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Krystian Aparta accepted English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | ||
Leslie Gauthier edited English subtitles for How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace |